Universal golf club



Jan. s, 1929. Y A 1,697,846

D. W. ANDERSON l UNIVERSAL GOLF CLUB Filed Ma 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1v m FI .CL-

WN 4i m 4:/ 111 1E 40/ l \]E/3Z r Em I4 3 F \./3 Ik 31E l 6%] zz il 1 -4L `v "f5 30 HI 14 4l 2, l

O o ENTOR.

O OOO INV o AZ o o O \Z0 .DHV/D W H/VDERso/v.

/ O o O H 2 ,3 l y ATTQRNEx/s Jam R929? 3,697,84@

- D. w. ANDERSGN UNIVERSAL GOLFl CLUB Filed May 28,A 1927 2 sheets-sheet2 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 8, 1.929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

UNIVERSAL Application filed May 28,

The object of this invention is to enable one golf club to do the workof a whole bag of clubs. To that end, this club is formed of adjustableparts adapting the one club to perform the functions of a plurality ofclubs as heretofore made and used. Therefore, the one, club will serveas the driver, the cleek, the midiron, the mashie, and the niblick. Inother words, the one clubv will do the work of a bag of different clubs,as its parts are adapted to change the form of the club to be 4 similarto the form of any or all of the clubs heretofore in use.

One feature of the invention consists in connecting the handle and headof the club with a ball and socket joint connection which permitsadjustment of the loft o-f the hea and of the lie thereof.

Another feature of the invention consists in means for adjusting thelength of the club.

Another feature' of the invention consists in providing the head with aseries of sub stantially horizontal ribs with intervening slotsor byperforations, through the head for the free passage of air for thepurpose indicated, an-d this also will prevent the atmosphericdisturbances 4of the lie 0f the ball whidch is common with clubs asheretofore use The full nature of the invention will be understood fromthe accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a'golf club with the head in elevationand the 'handle and .its connectionY with the head in centrallongitudinal section, the club being broken away between its ends asindicated,

i and showing the club substantially adjusted in its form to serve as adriver. Fig. l2 is a substantially similar figure of the same clubadjustedto a different form substantially as desired to serve as amidiron. Fig. 3 is a substantially similar figure, showing theadjustment of the same club to serve as a niblick. Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the head and the shank thereof as shown in Fig. 1, the other parts ofthe club being removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the shank of thehead and the lower part of the handle slightly separated to show therelative inclinations of the two adjacent ends thereof. Fig. 6 is across section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 1, showing the parts of thehandle in position for being moved for the longitudinal adjustment ofthe handle. Fig. 7 is the same as Fig. 6 with the GOLF CLUB.

1927. Serial No. 195,049.

parts in position when the handle is locked into position afteradjustment. Fig. 8 is a central vertical section of the outer sleeve ofthe upper part of the handle and an elevation of a portion of the innertube of the handle, the same being broken away at the top and bottomthereof.

A golf club consists essentially of the handle, the head, and theconnection between the headand the handle. In this invention these threeparts are capable of adjustment to produce all varieties of forms of theusual plurality of golfclubs. This is accomplished by adjusting the loftof the head with relation to the handle, adjusting the lie-angle of thehead` with relation to the handle, and adjusting the length of thehandle. The character of the construction and the nature of theseadjustments will more fully appear in the following explanation.

In the drawings there is shown a golf club head 1Q of usual form with apeculiar shank 11 integral therewith and adapted to be secured to thelower member 12 of the handle. The shank 11 is hollow and the lowerportion internally threaded to receive a plug or dust cap 13. The upperportion 111 of the shank 11 is heini-spherical with a central opening 14in the upper end thereof. The lower tubular member 12 of the handle hasa spherically-disposed socket at its lower end adapted to it on saidspherical top'of the shank 11, as shown in Fig. 1, and it is heldthereon by a connecting rod 15 having a hemi-spherical ball 16 on thelower end, fitting in the upper portion of the shank of the head of theclub.; thus providing a ball and socket connection between] the shank l1and the lower tubular member 12 and the upper portion of said rod 15 isprovided with left-hand threads 17 which. screw into the main metaltubular member 18 of the handle. This tube 1.8 eX- tends for almost thelentire length of the handle and its lower end is conical and tapers soas to have a wedge fit in the flaring upper end ofthe handle member 12,as seen in Fig. 1.

It is apparent that when the rod 15 is tightened by turning the handletube 18, it will be drawn down tightly into the lower 4handle member 12andthe ball 16 on the lower end of the connecting rod 15 will be drawnup tightly in the upper part of the shaft 11 of thehead so as to make avery firm, strong union between the head and the handle of the club.

The union betweenthe head and the handle of the club is Vfurther eatlystrengthened by the serrations 20 on t e shankl ofthe head 10 \andserrations 721 on the lowerl end of the 5 member 12 of the handle, asshown in Figs. 4 and 5, whereby in any adj ustedl position ofsaid parts,the serrations of said two members will lnterengage and lock and preventany torsional displacement of either the head' or l0 the handle relativeto each other.' The serrations on the shank 11 of the head of the clubsurround the hemi-spherical portion thereof, as seen in Fig. 1, but animportant feature thereof consists in the inclination of l15 theseriesof serrations 2O with relation to a A between the handle and the 'headis modied v byturning the handle on the shank of the head, thecorresponding modificationof. the loftof the head will be produced.Therefore, these two adjustments occur simultaneously and relatively.That'is, as the lie-angle increases, the loft of the head of the clubincreases and as 'the lie-angle of the` club decreases, the loft of thehead diminishes.

This variation is substantially the same as is found in differentclubsin a golf bag and is illustrated in the drawings in Figs.. 1, 2and-3.

Thus, in Fig. 1, the club has substantially the same form as a driver,or as an iron club when vused as a driver. Fig. 2 shows the club lin theform substantially of a midiron and Fig. 3

' substantially that of a niblick. The drawings are v'notabsolutelyaccurate reproductionsof the forms of the clubs, but aresulicient to illustrate the principle of construction and adjustment of'this club and of the form-fof the variations referred to. Also, the

connection between theshank 11 and the tubular member 12 of the handlemay be a balll and socket connection without serrations 20 and A21, thusallowing a greater vari'et of angular adjustments of thel lie-.angle othe head with respect to the handle and the loftangle of the head withrespect to the handle, which adjustments-'will neither be arbitrary norsimultaneous with referenceA to each otherbut will be entirely at thewish of the .f operator.f A In order to enable the relativeadjustment 1vvof the lower end ofthe handle and the rounded top of the shank 11- ofthe head, the slot 14 has -a reater diameter than the rod 15, substantialy as shown in Fig. 1. The cong5 necting rod 15 has a pin or key 25 init which Ywhat may be termed the han loosely projects into a shortlongitudinal slot 26 in the lower member 12 ofthe handle so as to causethe part'12 and the tube 18 of the' handle to turn together intightening them and keep them together during the manipulation vof theclub` while adjusting it. .A

chamber 27 in the member'12 of the handlev surrounds the connecting rod.l5 and is sufficient to hold a spiral spring 28 that rests thereinand'atvts upper end engages vthe lower end of the tube 18 of the handleand at its lower end rests on shoulders 29 in the tudinal adjustment ofthe handle is necessary and it cooperates with the other adjustments inorder to produce the variety of formscf the club specified'. Theinvention is not limited 'to any particular construction o e handle forlongitudinally aad' Stin 1t but. lnovel and satisfactor 'fdl g meansradjustment are herein shown. he laintube 18 of the handle is surroundedin its u pper portion by l'e tu e 30, as it is grasped by` the hand andshould be wrapped with leather asis common in' golf clubs. This wrappingis not shown for the sake of clearness of \the remaining construction.The upper part of the inner main tube 18 has a vertical series ofindentations made therein at 31 which is accomplished by stamping inwarda series of tongues 32, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7. This leaves a verticalspace between the ends of the tongues 32 and the opposite edge of theslot 31. Into this slot projects one or more teeth 33 connected with theouter handle tube 30. These teeth may be formed as shown in Fig. 1, bystamping them in one strip of metal34 and countersinking it in acorresponding slot in the inner wall of the tube 30. By turning thehandle tube 30'on the tube 18 to the posltions shown in Fig.- 6, thehandle tube 30 can be raised or. lowered as desired, and when adjustedto the desired po'sition,'the handle tube 30 is turned on the tube 18 tothe position shown in Fig. 7, where the teeth 33 wedge against thetongues V32 and lock said two handle members firmly together. In thisway the length of the handle can be adjustedv to suit the lie-angle andthe loft of the head.

The head of the club 10 is provided with a plurality of parallel slottedperforations 40 extending through the head and forming between them acorresponding series of ribs 41. These ribs perform the same function asthe ribsin the Ordinar ribbed head of a golf club, but the slotteperforations are for the purpose of reducin the resistance of the air tothe vmovement ol the head of the club and also toreduce the movement ofthe air by the head of the golf club in driving. From this l shown inFig. 1.

The invention is not limited Yto any particular form of theseperforations through the head of the club for any perforations would tosome extent perform the functions specified, but it is considereddesirable to provide the ribs 41 and the longitudinal slottedperforations 4l) between them, as shown, as 4the ribs are desirable toprevent the slippage of the ball on the club.

The threads 17 of the connecting rod 15 and the connection between thehandle member 30 and the tube 18 are such that the strain on the head 10resulting from the stroke of the ball or striking the earth during thestroke, tends to tighten both of said connections. .Thus the threads 17are lefthand threads in a right-hand club, and the tongues 32 in thetube 18, as seen in`Fig.`7.'

are on the right-hand side of' the pins or projections 33 secured to thehandle sleeve 30. In a left-hand club, the reverse construction would beemployed.

From the foregoing, it is seen that a player can with this single clubdo substantially the complete play or Work that is performed with a bagfull of clubs and the alterations or adjustments can be very quicklyeffected and without any tools. Thus if the player were to drive withthe club in the position shown in Fig. 1 and wanted' to use a midiron,he would adjust the club by changing it to vthe form shown in Fig. 2 bygiving the handle a slight turn so as to loosenit an change theadjustment with relation to the shank of the head of the club, and thena reverse turn of the handle tighten it, and a slight movement of thehandle tube 30 and then a slight longitudinal movement thereof and thena return turning movement of the same, will adjust the length of thehandle. Thus the handle can be modified from the length of a driverhandle to the length of a putter handle almost instantly. Theseadjustments would ordinarily be done while walking and approaching eachball and need not delay the game. This not only gets rid of a bag ofclubs, but gets rid of a caddie.

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf club including a head having a shank, a handle, and a ball andsocket connection between the head shank and the handle permitting theirangular adjustment, the adjacent surfaces of said two members beingserrated for engaging each other and said serrated surfaces beinginclined to the aXis of the handle, whereby when the head or the handlemay be turned relativeto each other, the lie-angle and the loft of the`Lhead will be simultaneously and correspondmgly varied.

2. A golf club substantially as described in claim 1, said serratedsurfaces being inclined upward towards a position at the rear of the topline of the head, whereby the lie-angle and loft will be correspondinglyreduced or increased in the adjustments of the connection between saidhandle and the head.

3. A golfclub including a head having an integral shank Withl an upperhemispherical shell having an upper central opening and a series ofradial serrations surrounding the lower part of said shell, a handleprovided at its lower end with a socket to receive said shell, a seriesof serrations at the lower end of the handle engaging the serrationssurrounding the shell, a connecting rod eX- tending through the openingof said shell and having a ball on its lower end fitting in the shell,and means for adjustably securing said rod in the handle, whereby thehead and handle can be adjustably secured together.

.4. A golf club including a head having an integral shank' with anupward hemi-spherical shell having' an upper central opening and aseries of radial serrations surrounding the lower part of said shell, ahandle having a lower member provided with a socket at its lower end toreceive said shell on the shank of the head, a series 'of serrations atthe lower yend of the handle for engaging the serrations on the head ofthe shank, a handle tube with its lower end in wedging engagement withthe lovver/l member of the handle, a connecting rod extending throughsaid Vshell on the shank of the head and said handle member, and a ballon the lower end d of said rod fitting in said shell and with fthe upperend in threaded engagement with the handle tube, whereby the head andhandle can be adjustably secured together.

5. A golf club substantially as described in claim 3, with the openingin the top of said shell head being larger than the connectingrodbetween said shell and handle. I i

6. A golf club substantially as described in claim 8, with a springbetween said two members of the handle for lightly holding the serratedsurfaces in engagement during said adjustment. 7 A golf clubsubstantially as described 1n claim 3, with the upper end of the lowermember of the handleflaring and the lower end of said handle tubetapering to lit and Wedge therein when the parts are adjusted.

8. A golf club having a handle including a main handle tube, ahandlesleeve loosely surrounding the upper'portion of said tube, the upperpart of said handle ftube'having a vertical row4 of tongues stampedinward. and a key secured to and extending from said handle sleeve andadapted to enter any one of the grooves formed by stamping in saidtongues, whereby the length of the handle may be vertically adjusted andheld in adj usted position by turning one of said handle members withreference to the other.

9. A golf club having ahandle substan, tially as set forth in claim 8,the upper part of said handle tube having a vertical row of tonguesstamped inward, and a. key secured to and extending from said handlesleeve and adapted to enter any one of the grooves formed by stamping insaid tongues, whereby the length of the handle may be verticallyadjusted and held in adjustable position by turning one of said handlemembersl with reference to-the other, the relation of the tongues andkey being such that the eonnecf tion between the two handle members willtighten as aresult of the tendency of the head to turn during a stroke.

10. A golf club including a head having a shank, a handle, a ball andsocket connection between the head shank and the handle permitting theirangular adjustment, the adjacent surfaces of said two members beingserrated for engaging each other, and the ball and socket connectionadapted to draw the handleand head shank tightly together whereby theyWill be located in adjusted position. y

In-Witness whereof, I have hereunto alixed my signature.

DAVID lV. ANDE )tb`()N.

